Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-108). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Agricultural Economics, 2008. / "Major professor, Dr. Glynn Tonsor"--Acknowledgements. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 30, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-206). Also issued in print.

Presented as tThesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1927. / Caption title. Reprinted from Journal of experimental zoölogy, vol. 69, no. 3 (Jan. 1935). Includes bibliographical references (p. 392-395).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on December 22, 2006) The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Vita. "May 2006" Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / "December 2006" The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Includes bibliographical references.

Master of Science / Animal Sciences and Industry / Lindsey E. Hulbert / Rapid responses in milk production to changes in dairy cow management, nutrition, and health give producers feedback to help optimize the production and health of dairy cattle. On the contrary, a producer waits up to two years before the investments in calf growth and health are observed thru lactation. Even so, performance, health, and immune status during this time play a large role in subsequent cow production and performance. A recent report from the USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System estimated that 7.6 to 8.0% of dairy heifers die prior to weaning and 1.7 to 1.9% die post-weaning (2010). The cost of feed, housing, and management with no return in milk production make for substantial replacement-heifer cost. Therefore, management strategies to improve calf health, performance, and immune function are needed. Prebiotic supplementation has gained interest in recent years as a method to improve gastrointestinal health and immune function in livestock. It has been provided that prebiotic supplementation may be most effective in times of stress or increased pathogen exposure throughout the calf’s lifetime (McGuirk, 2010; Heinrichs et al., 2009; Morrison et al., 2010). Multiple studies have researched the effect of prebiotics around the time of weaning, but to the author’s knowledge, none have focused on prebiotic’s effects during the transition from individual housing prior to weaning to commingled housing post-weaning which may also be a time of stress or increased pathogen exposure. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the effects of prebiotic supplementation of mannan-oligosaccharide and beta-glucan during this commingling phase. The results indicate that prebiotic supplementation alters feeding behavior, modulates neutrophil function, and increases antibody response during this time. The purpose of industry-based research, such as studies on prebiotics and other methods to improve calf health and performance, is to provide producers with tools to advance and improve their operations. In this respect, it is beneficial to learn what producers’ needs are and what they are interested in improving. An extension survey was conducted to establish priorities, need, and management practices of Kansas dairy producers. The results of the survey indicate that nearly half of the producers (49.3%) are interested in extension programs focused on calf/heifer management. Similarly, over half (54.8%) of the producers responded that they are interested in improving calf/heifer management in the next 5 years. The death loss observed as well as the results of the survey display a need and a producer desire to improve calf management, warranting research on prebiotics and further methods to continue to improve calf health and performance

This trial was conducted in two phases during the period of February 2002 – June 2003. In phase 1 of the study the growth potential of calves fed either commercial Surromel Calf® (CSM) or experimental Surromel Calf (ESM) without calf starter was evaluated. In phase 2 of the study calves were fed either experimental Surromel Calf (ESM) or full milk with starter. High production cost and the availability of new technology prompted Clover SA to investigate other processes of manufacturing Surromel Calf®. The implementation of a new manufacturing process however, also necessitates evaluation of the end product. Twenty four Holstein heifer calves were used in a completely randomized block design. Calves were liquid fed only. For the first two weeks the milk replacer was allocated at 10% of body weight (2l fed twice daily), from week 3 to week 6 at 12.5% of body weight (2.5l fed twice daily) and during week 7 and week 8 calves received the milk replacer at 15% of body weight (3l milk fed twice daily). Water was available ad lib except for 30 minutes before and after milk replacer feedings. Body weight and skeletal development (body length, shoulder height, shoulder width and chest diameter) were measured weekly. The fecal consistency was subjectively scored daily. Mean average daily gains were 170g/day and 176g/day for calves receiving either ESM or CSM respectively. No differences were observed between treatments (P>0.05) for any change in body stature measurements over the 56 day trial period. If a price-competitive milk replacer could guarantee similar growth results as full milk, then milk producers would have confidence in using these replacers instead of full milk. In phase 2 of the trial calves were fed either 2l of full milk (FMS) or experimental Surromel Calf (EMSS) twice daily from birth up to 56 days. Calves had ad lib access to a commercial calf starter. Starter consumption was negligible for the first three weeks. Starter intake was 0.30kg/d and 0.34kg/d respectively at 35 days of age and 1.11kg/d and 1.10kg/d for FMS and EMSS calves respectively at 56 days (P>0.05). The average daily gain (ADG) were 370g/day and was unaffected by treatment (P>0.05). No differences were observed between treatments (P>0.05) for any change in body stature measurements. Growth standards for dairy calves with body weight less than 100kg have been included for the first time in the NRC Dairy 2001. Many producers are reluctant to use these recommendations since these have not been validated under South African conditions. The growth prediction was only compared with the growth of calves in Phase 2. The results showed that the NRC growth predictions are in agreement from week 3 onwards with the current study‘s growth results. / Dissertation (MSc (Agric) : Animal Nutrition)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Animal and Wildlife Sciences / unrestricted

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of increased volumes of milk feeding as well as the effect different group sizes may have on the growth and health of Jersey calves. One hundred and twenty 3-day old heifer calves were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups (30 calves each) and calves in groups one and two were assigned into four subgroups (15 calves each). Two groups received unrestricted volumes of milk (HMV), while two groups received restricted volumes of milk (RMV) during the preweaning period. The calves were weaned after 6 weeks. Feed intake, growth rates, health and cross-sucking behaviour of calves were monitored until all the calves in the trial reached at least 60 days of age. The effects of milk volume and group size on growth rates and the risks of diseases were evaluated using multiple linear- and logistic-regression models. During the milk-fed stage, the HMV calves drank 72% more milk than calves fed conventionally. Probably as a result of the much higher intake of milk, the HMV calves gained 154 g/d more weight than the RMV calves before weaning (P < 0.001), resulting in a 6.3 kg weight advantage on d 42. Birth weight of the HMV calves showed a strong linear relationship with milk intake (Pearson’s r = 0.696, P < 0.001) and preweaning ADG (Pearson’s r = 0.426, P < 0.001). Calves that were provided with more milk consumed less calf starter, reflecting effective substitution of milk with concentrate. However, after the calves were weaned, the difference in starter intakes disappeared. This resulted in no treatment differences in weight gains over the postweaning period, and on d 60 the HMV calves maintained an advantage in mean (± SD) body weight (67.6 ± 7.9 kg vs. 60.8 ± 6.6 kg for the HMV vs. RMV calves). With the exception of keratoconjunctivitis, the incidence of disease in milk-fed calves was low and did not differ between HMV and RMV treatment groups. Days of treatment for keratoconjunctivitis (birth to d 42) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for calves in the large HMV group compared with calves in other groups. Smaller groups showed a higher incidence of diarrhoea during the preweaning period (OR = 3.23; P < 0.01). Over the whole trial period, the gain-to-feed ratio of HMV calves was 9.6% better than calves receiving restricted milk volumes. However, the cost per kg body mass gain was 12% higher for HMV calves. Cross-sucking observations showed that the incidence in the preweaning period differed greatly between the groups (1.7% vs. 75.5% for HMV vs. RMV groups; P < 0.001). During the last 10 days of the trial, this difference decreased, but was still significant (10.0% vs. 19.1% for HMV vs. RMV groups; P < 0.001). The conclusion was that the feeding of high volumes of milk to dairy calves will have a significant positive effect on growth rates, without compromising their health or the intake of solid food after weaning. Additionally it allows calves to be housed in groups with less problems of cross-sucking. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Production Animal Studies / unrestricted

Hot-iron branding on the upper hind limb in beef feedlot calves is a usual part of the processing procedure at arrival in many feedlots in South Africa. However, cheek branding is becoming more popular in feedlots due to ease of restraint and better visibility of the brand mark. However, the welfare aspects of cheek branding compared to leg branding have not been investigated. By monitoring physiological and behavioural markers this study was conducted to determine potential stress-related differences between feedlot calves which are branded on the leg, those branded on the cheek and control (sham-branded) animals. Thirty weaned crossbred beef calves, recently arrived at a commercial feedlot, were habituated to handling in a crush for seven days and then randomly divided into three groups of ten. Group A was branded on the cheek, Group B on the hind leg and Group C was sham-branded with a room temperature iron. Group C was further divided into two groups (n = 5) that were either sham-branded on the cheek or on the leg. Blood was collected at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after branding for serum cortisol determination with a commercial radioimmunoassay kit. In addition, faeces were collected from all animals on the day after arrival, as well as at day seven, two and one prior to branding, on the day of branding and for seven consecutive days. Faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels were determined using a group-specific enzyme immunoassay measuring 11,17-dioxoandrostanes (11,17-DOA). Other outcomes monitored included behavioural traits for seven days after branding, individual average daily weight gain (ADG), morbidity and mortality during the feedlot period and histopathological evaluation of the brand mark on the skin after slaughter. Faecal 11,17-DOA concentrations were higher the day after transport than the day after branding (P < 0.001) indicating higher circulating levels of cortisol during transport. Compared to pre-branding levels, serum cortisol was not significantly higher at 30 minutes after branding in all three groups but hormone levels dropped significantly at 60 minutes post-branding. Concentrations at 90 and 120 minutes were not significantly different from pre-branding concentrations in all three groups. The quantifiable rise seen between 60 and 90 minutes post-branding could have been due to the extended time (up to 2.5 hours) spent in the crush. There were no statistically significant differences in blood cortisol or faecal 11,17-DOA between the cheek, leg or sham branded groups at any time. Vocalization occurred more frequently at the time of branding in the cheek branded group than in either the leg branded (P = 0.030) or the control group (P < 0.001). There were also no significant differences in other behavioural indices between the three groups. Faint brand marks could be seen at the time of slaughter (74 days after branding) on five animals from the leg branded group. No cheek brands were visible. No scarring was seen on histopathological examination. No significant differences were seen in the ADG, and there were no morbidities or mortalities. In conclusion, using the methods described, there were no obvious differences in serum cortisol levels, faecal 11,17-DOA levels, behavioural indicators of pain or production outcomes between feedlot calves branded on the cheek, the leg, or sham branded. / Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Production Animal Studies / unrestricted

No description available.